The Great War

1914

On August 4, England declared war on Germany. The immediate effect was to put money up to
10%. All banks closed for three
days. Liverpool, Fleetwood and Heysham
Steamers stopped sailing. Panic in linen
market, goods rose ¾ d per yard inside a week.
Stock Exchange closed in England, America.

America, fearing a great
shortage of yarns, bought goods (chiefly Paddings and Ducks) enormously. This was due to the supply from Belgium,
which had been invaded, being cut off.
McLeod, New York, ordered 50 cases 7x7 25/25 Paddings and 3,000 pieces of
Canvas and Shrunks. American customers
all stopped paying for two months, as the rate of exchange was prohibitive.

In September, the exchange rate was lowered to 4.94 US dollars per
pound.

On October 1, my son Thomas Jackson Clark commenced to serve his time
in this business, aged 16-½ years.

In October, linen prices were still advancing enormously. 25’s Tow up to 9 shillings. There was a huge demand for any heavy linen
for soldiers kit bags. We sold thousands
of webs of 27” and 31” 10x7, 11x8’s or any other heavy goods we had in stock.

Hollands for government - orders placed for 10,000 web lots of 34” 9x10 35/40 natural Holland. These were largely done in the mangle finish,
not beetled.

In December, prices were still advancing weekly.

36” 9x10 up from 4-1/8d to 6-¼d.

On December 16, a great German attack on Scarborough, town
shelled. Fortunately, I had taken my
daughter Norah away from there a week before the raid.

On December 25, the largest flood in
living memory in this river came over the head sluices and burst the small
dam. Below the Lower House the river and
the race became united, and at the mill engines the water was 6” up on the
beetle faces.

1915

In February, Alexander Maxwell Clark [my nephew] commenced business.

All labourers had been
working for the last two months [to repair] the great damages done by the
flood. The race was burst above Lagans [scutch
mill] and also below the Jubilee in Kinney’s field, where we built the present
strong stone wall.

In April, we commenced business in Norway and Sweden, also Switzerland
and appointed agents: Hans Bollag for Switzerland, Jens Kittelsen for Norway
and Heymann & Holmberg for Sweden.
We got very large orders for elastic canvas.

In July, four of the eight new Engines at the Corn Mill first
started. We also commenced to build a
new bridge for the County road over the race at the Mill. The County Council contributed £50. I got this bridge made double its former
width.

In August, owing to a great advance in prices of Linens, Union goods [cotton-linen
mixtures] now came largely into demand.
Mr J. Gilmore of D.W. McLeod, New York, spent ten days here with me and
bought 10,000 webs. There was a huge
demand for Paddings from USA.

In October, a new Fielding & Platt Gas Engine put in at
Jubilee. Several Office hands got their
commissions: Tom Boston, G. Houston, W.H. Kane.
Two of those who had joined earlier were killed; W. Montgomery, son of
our Foreman Engineer, was killed in Gallipoli, and G. Groogan was shot in
France by a German sniper.

In November, prices still advancing about 1/8d every week. We were shipping over £7,000 worth of linens
every month to McLeod, New York.

South American trade
started this month.

In December, the
shipments to America and Canada amounted to £24,000 and the total shipments
£50,000.

1916

Alfred McCarrison, who
was one of our directors and our famous traveller died, age 32 years. He had
been with us for fifteen years, first six years in the Belfast Office, and then
he travelled twice a year to the USA, Canada, as well as selling to the home
trade. He succeeded Robert Hodge who died in 1911.

In February, there was a tremendous demand for linens for aeroplanes
and we made large quantities here.

We now appointed Mr
William Shields, formerly Manager of the Belfast Office to succeed Mr
McCarrison as traveller, and R. Erskine from Ewart’s came to the Belfast
office.

In March there was huge demand from the USA for all numbers of Paddings
finished by the Grosvenor, also low Shrunk Ducks like 7x7 30/30, 7x7 25/25,
etc, were selling in enormous demand.

In April, timber prices advanced from £12 for 120 planks to £50.

Mr Flynn came here. He
had been at Lisnafillan for many months.

On April 13, Sir Roger Casement tried to land arms on the Irish coast
on a German cruiser which was sunk.

On April 24, a great rebellion
broke out in Dublin and half the
city was burned or blown up.

As of May 1, business practically stopped, no
mails from USA, Canada, or even England for a week, as mail boats were all
conveying troops to Ireland. All letters were
censored. No telegrams or telephone
messages were allowed in Ireland for two weeks.

This year, we had great
trouble getting goods across to Liverpool, as all the steamers had been
withdrawn for carrying troops, shells etc.

An enormous advance in
price of Black Dye, up from 9d a pound in 1914 to 16/- a pound now.

Zeppelin raids were being
made on the English coast nearly every night.

Mr A Heymann, our Swedish
Agent, spent a weekend here. He was now
doing a large business in Sweden.

In May my son TJ Clark took over management of the Canadian business.

Mr Henning Jorck was by now
doing a very large business in Denmark, and this was being managed by my son WMW
Clark.

On May 31, the geat naval battle of Horn Reef, later named Jutland

In June, with the allies now commencing to gain the upper hand, prices
of linens fell to some extent.

By July, prices were all down about 3/8d per yard, and buying from
practically all countries stopped.

We appointed Sylvian
Bernhaardt as our first agent for Russia, but no business resulted.

In August, there was extremely hot weather. Several hundred pounds
worth of 8x7 30/30 and 9x8’s that were left lying wet at the Jubilee became
quite rotten.

Owing to the enormous
advance in all finishing stuffs – dyes, coating etc – price for finishing Hollands
was advanced from ¾ d per yard to 1 ½ d per yard. Linens were now so dear that the demand for
fine Hollands dropped off entirely and we were left with considerable stocks.

In September, all American business stopped, as prices were still
falling. This is important information
and should be a guide to the younger generation in future years.

In October, prices were still falling terribly, 25’s tow down from 16
shillings to 13 shillings.

By November, prices again began to advance. 25’s tow went up from 12/3d to 12/6d.

Cottons now largely in
demand and we put in our first slasher.

The advance in prices
caused renewed buying on a heavy scale from all quarters, and prices jumped
from 1d to 1-½ d per yard.

Great demand from the government
for linens for covering hangers for aeroplanes.

Trade in Norway, Denmark
and Switzerland was now growing very rapidly.
In November, we shipped £4,700 worth to these countries.

On November 20, Joe Davidson left.
He had been here for about 23 years in our American department.

In December, a new Gas Engine ordered for the lower house.

1917

On January 8, [my nephew] George Wallis Clark entered the business.

My son WMW Clark, aged
20, was now in full charge of our trade with Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden,
etcetera, and the business was growing by leaps and bounds the turnover having
exceeded £5,000 per month.

On January 13, Mr Shields sailed out on his first visit to America and
had a very good trip.

In February, a large Boiler by Penman, for 160lbs pressure, was put in
at the Green, also a new Gas Engine for the Road Engines.

In March, Joe Simpson, who had been for many years with us, left.

On April 2, a serious accident in the Green resulted in the death of
Robert Crossett, who was caught in an unprotected shaft.

On April 8, daylight saving time began for the first time.

America declared war on Germany.

On April 30, David Kane, who was managing the Green, left.

During April, we had the worst weather for the
season in living memory, there being heavy snow everywhere, even at Portrush it
was 4” deep. By the 11th the
railways here were all blocked and no trains had reached Upperlands by 2 pm.

Also in April, my son TJ Clark commenced to
manage the American Business, and was very successful.

On May 5, there was a submarine battle off Portrush. The windows there were broken by the cannon
shots.

Robert Saunderson, our
famous finisher, came here.

Also in May, WE Squire, who managed the factory
for many years, left; Mr White came in his place.

In June, a premises was built for new Gas Engine at Lower House.

In July, a great advance in the price of cottons, now 24d per lb. Linens also advanced further in sympathy.

Timber very difficult to
get even with a permit, which was always necessary.

In October, demand from America and Canada fell off badly, but the
Home Trade kept quite good.

In November, one of the greatest floods for many years came into the weaving
factory and damaged large quantities of yarns.

On November 10, we got news of the revolution in Russia, and prices of
flax again advanced seriously, 25’s went up to 25 shillings a bundle and cotton
rose to 30-½ d per lb.

In December, prices of linens were advancing by leaps and bounds,
largely due to the Russian Revolution and the great shortage of shipping.

The government, now
fearing a shortage of linens for aeroplanes, took control of all flax and yarns
and a permit was necessary for any purchases.

1918

On January 4 , we bought Lilley’s farm for £2,550.

On January 9, my son Thomas Jackson Clark enlisted in the Inniskilling
Fusiliers.

On January 10, all the workers and managers presented him with a
special address before going to the war, and also [sent a message of
congratulations] to WMW Clark on his coming of age. It was signed by:-

R.A. Moody

A. Bingham

W.G. Flynn

William Shields

R. Erskine

George Frazer

Robt. Montgomery

James Ferguson

James Stewart

Joe Stewart

Robert Johnston

On March 18, TJC got his commission and returned home, but had to
leave again on 25 March, for London. On April 12, he went to St. Omer, France.

As of March, prices of linens and unions were
advancing enormously owing to great scarcity of flax and cotton. One government
order was placed for 85,000 webs 28 ½” Ducks to finish 27”, 3 ¼ per yard was
paid for finishing these goods, simply dyeing them khaki colour, and a few
hours beetling.

On March 18 I went with my son WMWC to Dundee and we sold nearly 5,000
webs to McLeods, Bissets, and Jas F. White. We went to see the Fleet at the Forth Bridge

Also in March, there was a great German offensive. The Allies were driven back to within eight
miles of Amiens. Many were killed from
here in the great battle, including Privates Cushley, Porter, Tom McIllroy.

The government placed
another order for over 33,000 webs 28 ½” 12x7 to finish 27” Shurnk Duck. 1 15/16d was paid for merely finishing these.

On April 19, I sent with my son WMW Clark and nephew AM Clark to see
about their joining the war, but were strongly advised to stay at home, as we were
doing such very important work making linens for the government.

In May, a new Penman boiler, 16lbs pressure, was installed.

A new beetling unit at
Lower House was now being built by Evans of Bellaghy.

In June, we got a government order for 500 webs 36” 9x10, to be made
in our own factory. Prestons supplied the yarns.

On July 16, a 68 hp Gas Engine by Fielding & Platt started at the
Road Engines.

On July 24, the lower-house gas engine made by Fielding & Platt
started at the road engines.

A great strike was called by the Workers’ Union because we dismissed
a starcher.

On September 8, our famous finisher Barney McKinney died aged 86. He
had been our foreman finisher for 40 years.

As of September, we were largely making cotton
hollands and buckrams. Trade in the USA and Canada was now very quiet.

On September 13, the first fine day for more than five weeks.

On September 28, my son Second Lieut. T.J. Clark returned the first
time on leave from France. He had been stationed at Saint Omer and later at
Doullens, Rheims. He was seriously ill
for some time after returning home and in bed for five weeks with flu. Peace was declared before he had to return to
France.

On November 5, a great influenza epidemic. Over twenty people died about here, including
four of the McGuckin family and two of James Ferguson’s daughters.

There was a great strike of practically all hands,
except the office hands.

The largest flood for
many years, it was 4 feet deep in the Factory.
Great damage was done to the Jubilee race.